Natural products are substances produced by microbes, plants, and other organisms. Microbial natural products offer an abundant source of chemical diversity, and there is a long history of utilizing natural products for pharmaceutical purposes. Despite the emphasis on natural products for human therapeutics, where more than 50% are derived from natural products, only 11% of pesticides are derived from natural sources. Nevertheless, natural product pesticides have a potential to play an important role in controlling pests in both conventional and organic farms. Secondary metabolites produced by microbes (bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi) provide novel chemical compounds which can be used either alone or in combination with known compounds to effectively control insect pests and to reduce the risk for resistance development. There are several well-known examples of microbial natural products that are successful as agricultural insecticides (Thompson et al., 2000; Arena et al., 1995; Krieg et al. 1983).
The development of a microbial pesticide starts with the isolation of a microbe in a pure culture. It then proceeds with efficacy and spectrum screening using in vitro, in vivo or pilot scale trials in a greenhouse and in the field. At the same time, active compounds produced by the microbe are isolated and identified. For the commercialization of a microbial pesticide, the microbe has to be economically produced by fermentation at an industrial scale and formulated with biocompatible and approved additives to increase efficacy and to maximize the ease of application as well as storage stability under field conditions.
Chromobacterium 
In 2000, Dr. Martin and her coworkers at USDA isolated a purple-pigmented bacteria (PRAA4-1) from a forest soil in Maryland (Martin et al., 2007a). In the initial screening, they found this bacteria to be toxic to Colorado potato beetle and other insect pests (Martin et al., 2007b). This motile, Gram-negative, bacteria was identified as a new species of Chromobacteria, Chromobacterium substsugae sp. nov (Martin et al., 2007c). It is a facultatively aerobic, motile, Gram-negative betaproteobacterium with polar flagella. Colonies formed at 2-3 days on an L-agar plate at 25° C. are initially cream colored, gradually turning light to dark violet during the following 24 hours. Colonies of PRAA4-1 grow well on peptone based media with an optimum at 25° C., pH 6.5-8.0, and with 0-1.5% (w/v) NaCl (Martin et al., 2007a).
Since the finding of C. substugae by Martin and her coworkers, at least three new species of Chromobacteria have been isolated, and characterized; Young et al. (2008) isolated a novel Chromobacterium species, C. aquaticum, from spring water samples in Taiwan, and Kampfer et al. (2009) isolated two species, C. piscinae and C. pseudoviolaceum, from environmental samples collected in Malaysia.
Of all known species of Chromobacteria, C. violaceum, a gram-negative saprphyte from soil and water. Published information on secondary metabolites produced by Chromobacteria is based on studies on C. violaceum only (see, for example, Duràn and Menck (2001) for a comprehensive review of the pharmacological and industrial perspectives of C. violaceum). It is normally considered nonpathogenic to humans, but as an opportunistic pathogen, it has occasionally been the causative agent for septicemia and fatal infections in humans and animals. C. violaceum is known to produce a purple pigment, violacein, which is a bisindole molecule generated by a fusion of two L-tryptophan molecules in the presence of oxygen (Hoshino et al., 1987; Ryan and Drennan; 2009). Violacein biosynthesis is regulated by quorum-sensing, a common mechanism regulating various other secondary metabolism pathways in Gram-negative bacteria (McClean et al., 1997).
Other known metabolites of C. violaceum summarized by Duràn and Menck (2001) include hydrogen cyanide, ferrioxamine E, B-lactamic glycopeptides SQ28,504 and SQ28,546, antibiotics such as aerocyanidin, aerocavin, 3,6-dihydroxy-indoxazene, and monobactam SB-26.180, and an antitumoral depsipeptide FR901228. According to the review article by Duràn and Menck (2001), C. violaceum also produces unusual sugar compounds such as extracellular polysaccharides and lipopolysaccharides.
US patent application publication no. US20120100236 also discloses compounds obtainable or derived from Chromobacterium species, more particularly, Chromobacterium substugae. 
Mites and Acaricides
Tetranychus urticae (Two spotted spider mite) is a member of the Tetranychidae family Spider mites are perhaps the most important mite pests of ornamentals. They also cause considerable damage in more than 180 species of greenhouse and field crops. These mites are also among the most difficult arthropod pests to control and resistance to chemicals can develop quickly (Stamps and Osborne 2009, Osborne, Ehler and Nechols, 1999).
Acaricides are compounds that kill mites (miticides) and ticks (ixodicides). This class of pesticides is large and includes antibiotics, carbamates, formamidine acaricides, pyrethroids, mite growth regulators, and organophosphate acaricides. Besides chemical pesticides, diatomaceous earth and fatty acids can be used to control mites. They typically work through disruption of the cuticle, which dries out the mite. In addition, some essential oils such as peppermint oil, are used to control mites. In spite of the great variety of known acaricide compounds, mites remain a serious problem in agriculture because of the damage they cause to the crops. They can produce several generations during one season, which facilitates rapid development of resistance to the acaricide products used. Hence, new pesticide products with new target sites and novel modes of action are critically needed.
House Flies
Musca domestica (House flies) are members of the family Muscidae. This family is considered an economic problem domestically and worldwide. Other members of the Muscidae family include face fly, stable fly, and horn fly. They are considered a nuisance and are vectors of human and animal diseases. Their habits of walking and feeding on garbage and excrement and on the humans and food make them ideal agents for the transfer of disease organisms. This species can also be a pest to animals and transmit disease through open wounds.
Plant Feeding Flies—Spotted Wing Drosophila 
The spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii is a recent invader to the fruit and vegetable growing areas in the United States. It is far more destructive than a well known related species Drosophila melanogaster and other Drosophila because D. suzukii can feed on and damage in-tact fruits and vegetables, while other Drosophila only feed on decaying plant material.
Root Maggots
Root maggots of the family Anthomyidae feed on the roots of several different plants. Cabbage Root Maggots affect cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. (This group of vegetables is also known as ‘cole crops’). Different types of root maggots also occur that affect carrots, onions, and other vegetable crops. Because cole crops are cool-season vegetables, Cabbage Root Maggots are much more prominent in Northern zones of the US. They are difficult to control, because they hatch and feed underneath the soil, so you may only know they are there when you notice stunted growth or wilting foliage.
Green Peach Aphids
Myzus persicae, (green peach aphids) are members of the Aphididae family (see US20110054022). As evident by its common name, green peach aphids are pests of a wide range of fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants and have a worldwide presence. These insects are particularly harmful since they not only cause direct damage by feeding on phloem sap but are also potential vectors for the plum pox virus, the causal agent for Sharka disease, which causes fruit deformation and discoloration. As a result, infected trees must be uprooted. Attempts have been made to control these pests with various pesticides. However, resistance is often developed.
Potato Psyllid
Bactericera cockerelli, (potato psyllid) is a member of the Triozidae family and is a causative agent of zebra chip disease via infestation of gram negative bacteria. Although it is native to North America, it has been found in New Zealand as well (www.biosecurity.govt.nz/files/pests/potato-tomato-psyllid/psvillid-factsheet.pdf). The potato psyllid generally breeds in solanaceous hosts (such as tomatoes and potatoes). However, they have been found in other plants as well such as capsicum, chilli, eggplant, kumara, poroporo, tamarillo and thornapple.
Litter Beetles
Alphitobius diaperinus is a serious pest in the poultry industry and is a member of the Tenebrionidae family. The Bt strain PS86B1 reportedly has activity against Alphitobius (U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,665 to Hickle et al.). Bt tenebrionis may have activity against larvae of this beetle as well (U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,660). Litter beetles and a few other coleopteran species act as vectors for protozoan, bacterial, and viral diseases of chickens and turkeys resulting in significant economic loss. Litter beetles act as a significant reservoir for pathogenic Salmonella species including the more pathogenic varieties, such as S. enterica serotype enteritidis. The problem is that poultry contaminated with pathogenic organisms like Salmonella threaten human health. These beetles inhabit the litter, wood, Styrofoam, fiberglass, and polystyrene insulation panels of chicken houses. Larvae and adult beetles thrive both on bird droppings and on grains used as chicken feed. These large beetle populations and their diverse habitats within chicken houses make it more difficult to eradicate the Salmonella they carry. In the midst of a heavy litter beetle infestation, or prior to establishing new chicken populations neither frequent changes in the litter nor dusting with multiple chemical insecticides is a completely effective control for this pest.
Grubs and Scarabs
Grubs, such as white grubs (Cyclocephala lurida), Southern Masked Chafer, (Rhizotrogus majalis) Japanese beetle larvae, (Popillia japonica) black vine weevil larvae (Otiorhynchus sulcatus), oriental beetle larvae (Anomala orientalis), members of the Scarabaeidae family, have been found to infest turf and pasture grasses. Adult scarabs have been found to infest ornamental plants, and numerous crops around the world. Various pesticides have been tried and include chemical pesticides, nematodes (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,573) and Bacillus thuringiensis (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,158), peromones, and natural repellents such as catnip and chives.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs)
Bio-plastic is defined as a form of plastic synthesized from renewable resources such as plant starch and microbial species. Some of the biodegradable plastic materials under development include polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polylactide, aliphatic polyesters, polysaccharides, and the copolymers and/or blends of these. PHAs in particular include several polymeric esters such polyhydroxybutyrates, polyhydroxybutyrate co-hydroxyvalerates (PHBV), polyhydroxybutyrate co-hydroxyhexanoate (PHBHx) and polyhydroxybutyrate co-hydroxyoctonoate (PHBO). Poly3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) is the most common natural microbial PHA. Polyhydroxyalkanoates are 100% biodegradable polymers. Since they have similar properties to various synthetic thermoplastic like polypropylene, PHAs can be used in their place. They are also totally degraded to water and carbon dioxide under aerobic conditions and to methane under anaerobic conditions by micro-organisms in soil, lake water, sewages and sea water. Depending on the number of carbon atom in the chain, PHAs have been divided into two groups: short-chain length (SCL) which consists of 3-5 carbon atoms, and medium-chain length (MCL) which consists of 6-14 carbon atoms (Khanna S, Srivastava A K. 2005). These differences are mainly due to the substrate specificity of the PHA synthases that can accept 3HAs of a certain range of carbon length. The other well-known PHASCL is the copolymer, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) P(3HB-co-3HV), which comprise of four- and five-carbon monomeric units. The proportion of these monomeric units can vary, and this affects the physical properties of the polymer, i.e. less brittle with increasing proportion of 3HV unit.
In some microbial species, accumulation of PHA occurs during the presence of excess carbon and a limitation of nitrogen sources (Verlinden et al., 2007). PHAs produced in response to stressful conditions serve as energy storage molecules to be utilized when common energy sources are absent (Solaiman and Ashby, 2005). The plastic polymers accumulate intracellularly as light refracting amorphous storage granules in these organisms (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2005). PHB is synthesized from acetyl-CoA using three enzymatic steps (Krans et al., 1997). From a biotechnological point of view, the ability of bioplastics to be biodegradable makes them a desirable substitute for petrochemical-based plastic, an environmental pollutant (Lee, 1996). Increased production of bioplastics can significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, curtail plastic waste generation and decrease consumption of fossil fuels.
PHAs can be obtained from the following three methods: biosynthesis by microorganisms, photosynthesis by transgenic plants, and in vitro biosynthesis using appropriate enzymes (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,999, WO9914313). In most bacteria, cells synthesize PHA under growth-limiting substrates other than carbon source such as nitrogen, phosphorus or oxygen.
Accumulated PHA serves as both carbon and energy source during starvation. PHA also serves as a sink for reducing power and could therefore be regarded as a redox regulator within the cell. PHAs are also useful as stereo regular compounds which can serve as chiral precursors for the chemical synthetic of optically active compounds. Such compounds are particularly used as biodegradable carriers for long-term dosage of drugs, medicines, hormones, insecticides and herbicides (Reddy 2003). They are also used as osteosynthetic materials in the stimulation of bone growth owing to their piezoelectric properties, in bone plates, surgical sutures and blood vessel replacements (Schaefer et al., 2000). Furthermore, there have been disclosures of method of copolymer production by microbiological process using various bacteria e.g. Alcaligenes eutrophus NCIMB 40124 (EP. 0431883A2) and U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,999. EP No. 2236089A1 discloses uses of these polymers in multizone implants for orthopedic repair devices and soft tissue fixation devices. WO 91/00917A1 discloses method for controlling and modifying novel polyester biopolymer by manipulation of the genetics and enzymology of synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polyesters at the molecular level in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, especially plants. WO 2005/030482A1 discloses methods and uses as compostable packing materials. WO2008/110541 discloses the method of stabilization of polyhydroxybutyrates against thermal degradation.
Lignin
Lignin is a principal constituent of the woody structure of higher plants. Processed lignin is obtained as a by-product of wood pulping reactions. Lignin products include, for example, lignin sulphonates, alkali lignins, and oxylignins which may be obtained from sulphite, sulphate, and alkali waste liquors (Snook, 1982, Handbook for Pulp & Paper Technologists, TAPPI, Atlanta).
Lignin has been found to have a variety of commercial uses. For example, alkali soluble lignin has been used as a dispersing agent. U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,850 discloses the use of an alkali soluble, ozone-treated lignin product, which is essentially free of organically bound sulfur, as a dispersing agent for clays, dyestuffs, pesticides, carbon black and other materials. U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,522 discloses the use of lignosulphonate products for preparing emulsions of waxes, oils, fats, asphalts, and mixtures thereof. Lignin acetate, has been reported to be useful for applications such as acting as a binder in water-based printing ink compositions. (See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,051). U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,183 discloses the use of lignin sulphonate products for dispersing fat-soluble substances. Furthermore, there have been disclosures of binding of lignin-pesticide complexes (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,236, U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,453, reissued as Re. U.S. Pat. No. 29,238, U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,194, US Patent Application Pub. No. 20110015237, US Patent Application Pub. No. 2010136132, US Patent Application Pub. No. 20100278890, US Patent Application Pub. No. 20080113920, US Patent Application Pub. No. 2006247130, U.S. Pat. No. 7,867,507, WO2003/005816, U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,266).
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate has been used in various formulations as an anti-microbial in food preparations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,514 discloses synergistic antifungal compositions comprising an antifungal agent and a food additive, which produces a synergistic effect on the overall antifungal activity of the antifungal composition. Food additives disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,599,514 included sorbic acid and sorbates, benzoic acid and benzoates, hydroxy-benzoates, sulphur dioxide and sulphites, biphenyl and derivatives, nitrites, nitrates, lactic acid, lactates, citric acid and citrates, tartaric acid and tartrates, orthophosphoric acid and orthophosphates, malates, adipic acid, succinic acid, 1,4-heptonolactone, nicotinic acid, triammoniun citrate, ammonium ferric citrate, calcium disodium EDTA, glycerol, di-, tri- and polyphosphates, fatty acids (E470), mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471), esters of mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, carbonates, gluconates, chlorine (E92S), sodium hexametaphosphate, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxy toluene (BHT) (E321), t-butyl hydroquinone (THBQ), propyl gallate, calcium heptonate, calcium phytate, diethyl ether, EDTA, disodium dihydrogen EDTA, ethyl acetate, glycerol mono-, di- and triacetates, glycine, oxystearin, propan-1,2-diol and propan-2-01 and sodium heptonate.
Sodium benzoate has also been used in pesticide formulations. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,507 by SC Johnson teaches use of sodium benzoate in pesticides contained in pressurized steel aerosol delivery systems where main mode of stabilization is corrosion inhibition. U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,678 discloses an insecticide formulation that include sodium benzoate as corrosion inhibitor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,731,379 teaches insecticidal compositions that contain sodium benzoate when used as an animal shampoo to kill fleas. In this patent the use of sodium benzoate is not shown to increase effectiveness of the insecticide or stabilize the product but rather, is thought to assist in healing of wounds of the treated animal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,017,620 teaches insecticidal compositions that contain sodium benzoate and other known preservatives when used as an anti-microbial to stabilize the product while in storage. U.S. Pat. No. 6,841,572 discloses an aqueous solution for treating live plants, crops, trees, pre-harvest fruits, vegetables, leaves, stems, roots and flowers having a pH of between 4.0 and 6.5 and consisting essentially of fungicidally and/or bactericidally effective concentrations of one or more preservative compounds selected from the group consisting of sorbic, benzoic and lactic acid; the sodium, potassium, calcium and ammonium salts of benzoic, sorbic, hydroxymethyl glycinic, lactic and propionic acid; and methyl, ethyl, propyl and buryl paraben, at least one anionic surfactant, and optionally an acidulant.